Indian River Lagoon & Banana River
Capt. John Kumiski
February 24, 2005
Titusville - Saltwater Fishing Report
john kumiski's spotted tail report 2/24/05
This week’s fishing report from Spotted Tail, updated 2/24/05
Now booking tarpon dates for May and June along the Lee Island Beaches!
So I don't forget, I'm doing the upcoming events part first:
-On the weekend of February 26 and 27 I'll be speaking and have a booth at the Shallow Water Expo in Atlanta. Visit www.castlow.com for more information.
-On March 5 I'll be conducting a "Show and Tell" fishing seminar in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. I show you where, and tell you how! The price is $30 per person, limited to 20 people. There are still some spaces available. E-mail me at [email protected] for more information.
I'm writing the report a little early this week since I'm going to Atlanta tomorrow.
Last weekend (Saturday, Sunday, and Monday) I took my son Maxx and four other Oveido High School students on a canoe camping trip in Canaveral National Seashore at the north end of the Mosquito Lagoon. We launched the boats at LeFil's and paddled down behind the spoil islands to an island by marker 14. I saw two redfish and one trout on the way down there. We bait fished from our campsite and caught a dazzling collection of catfish, stingrays, and blowfish. I took FES Adrian out searching for fish in the canoe. In two hours we saw none. I didn't see any of the other boats catch a fish, either.
The next morning we paddled through the backcountry to Orange Island. I stood and poled almost the entire way. I saw seven redfish and three trout that entire distance, and had exactly one shot. I cast a shrimp at a redfish and you might have thought that an osprey had dropped the way he beat it out of there. That was my only shot of the trip, and as close to catching a fish as we got. From Orange Island we did catch another ray and a fine blue crab (a female). Adrian and I did fish around Orange Island, searching again for fish and blind casting (we did a lot of that this trip), fruitlessly.
Monday morning we packed up and again searched for fish as we made our way back to River Breeze. We did not see a fish the entire way. So in three days six of us did not get a bite and caught nothing in the way of trout or reds, fishing as bad as it gets. On the bright side, we had beautiful weather and the kids were a delight. I really enjoyed being out with them.
Tuesday morning I fished Ed and Akemi Heidel, fly fishers from Seattle. We went shad fishing on the St. Johns and finished hot after a slow start. The fish were busting minnows at the surface and we ended up tossing Black Ghost trout streamers (unweighted) at them with tremendous success, getting 30 or 40 shad, plus some crappie and bluegills. Akemi caught one on her last cast at 11:30, and then I had to pull the boat so I could go to Sarasota.
The Mangrove Coast Fly Fishers meeting was packed, what a great group! I got to see some old friends and meet some new ones, including a few from the CFFA list. I'd go back and speak to them any time.
On Wednesday Capt. Pete Greenan took me out to Bull and Turtle Bay for some fly fishing. The day began inauspiciously with dead fish floating at the ramp at Uncle Henry's, victims of a red tide. We fished hard all morning in a very beautiful area until about 2 PM, and although fishing was very slow we did manage to get a couple of snook (one legal), a couple of trout (one legal) and a redfish to complete the slam (also legal). All fish were taken on SexyFly Bendbacks. Pete and I had lunch with Ron Whately (I hope I spelled the correctly, Ron) at a waterfront restaurant, and then I drove back to Chuluota.
Remember- life is short. GO FISHING!
Life is also great and I love my work!!
John Kumiski
www.spottedtail.com
member IRGA, FOWA
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